Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Seen at Queenstown recently were these two helicopters as operated by Heli Tours Ltd.

Aerospatiale AS 350B2 ZK-HQN2 (c/n 1807) was
another Bryan Comerford import, initially listed as ZK-HGF3 on
16-07-2010. It moved to Heli Tours of Queenstown on 24-09-2010 and on
30-09-2010 was re-registered as ZK-HQN2.

Hughes 369D ZK-HOI4 (c/n 510936D) first appeared
on the register as ZK-HJF2 with Faram's at Gisborne, moving down to
Ridge Air from 27-01-2011. It was re-registered as ZK-HOI on 02-11-2011 and, spent a short time with Coast to Coast of Mapua from 05-10-2012 and then went
down to Heli Tours at Queenstown from 16-01-2013.

Gippsland GA8 Airvan VH-NYD (c/n GA8-7-119) flew into Queenstown on February 5th 2013 from Latrobe Valley and Essendon, Melbourne. It was then flown down to Flightline at Dunedin for its NZ certification. Its NZ import CofA is expected to be issued today (27-02-2013) following CAA's visit. It will then become ZK-MCM with Milford Sound Flights. This Airvan was originally listed as VH-AUM on 03-03-2008.
These two views were captured yesterday (26-02-2013) in the Flightline hangar at Momona (Dunedin).

This Airvan will replace the Islander ZK-MFN.

Soon to depart our shores is this Pilatus Britten Norman
BN2A-26 ZK-MFN (c/n 2168). It spent some of its earlier days as a fishery
patrol aircraft (with a radar nose) with the Chilean Authorities before going to
the States in October of 2002. It became ZK-MFN with Milford Sounds Flight
Seeing on 13-05-2003 and changed names to Milford Sounds Flights on 01-10-2009.
It is shortly away to OZ. It is seen above at Queenstown on 21-02-2013 and below in the Flightline hangar at Dunedin yesterday - with its replacement ZK-MCM in the background.

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

A visit to Jardines Strip near Queenstown on 22-02-2013 produced the
following:-

PAC Cresco 08-600 ZK-CRE2 is c/n
039. It was originally registered as ZK-JPJ to Aeromotive on 04-08-2003. It
went to Parachute Adventures Queenstown on 23-12-2003 to be re-registered as
ZK-NZO2 the same day. It transferred to Skydive Queenstown on
24-07-2008 and was re-re-registered to ZK-CRE2 on 17-10-2012 to free
up the NZO markings for the incoming Caravan (below).

ZK-NZO3 is a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (c/n 208B0965) which
was registered to Skydive Queenstown Ltd on 20-12-2012 having arrived in NZ on
10-12-2012. It is TPE331 powered..

Monday, 25 February 2013

Our next type of 2 seater homebuilt aircraft to come along was the Piel Emeraude.

The original Piel CP 30 Emeraude (Emerald in French), was designed by Claude Piel in France in the early 1950's and the prototype first flew on 19/6/54. It was licensed to be produced by various companies in France (where several hundred were built), in the UK (where a small number were built as the Fairtravel Linnet), and in South Africa (where it was called the Durban Aeriel). It was also available for homebuilding. Claude Piel updated the Emeraude to the Super Emeraude in the early 1960's and this design eventually served as the basis for the CAP 10 aerobatic aircraft. The Emeraude was classy and complicated, with an elliptical wing.

The CP 301 Emeraude had a length of 6.30 metres (20 feet 8 inches), a wingspan of 8.04 metres (26 feet 5 inches) and a wing area of 117 square feet. Its empty weight was 380 Kg (838 pounds) and MAUW was 650 Kg (1,433 pounds). The Super Emeraude had similar dimensions but had a heavier MAUW of 680 Kg (1,500 pounds), and could be built with the standard tail or a swept tail.

Our first Emeraude was ZK-CBP (c/n CP-1044), which was registered very early on (registrations were allocated in alphabetical order back then), being registered to the Ultraflight Aircraft Group of Southland Aero Club on 10/4/62. However it did not fly until 21/11/70, (well after Minicab ZK-CLS in October 1966 and Jodel D 11 ZK-CKG in February 1968). Its first flight resulted it being damaged, but it was repaired and it flew again on 3/4/71. The above photo was taken at the 1974 AACA flyin at Bridge Pa, Hastings. It passed through a series of owners around Invercargill - AT Wills and BW Pay on 14/10/75, in whose ownership is was photo'd below at West Melton by Don Noble, on 30/10/75.

Ownership changed to the Ultralight Aircraft Group of Invercargill on 16/6/76. It overturned at Scotts Gap, West of Winton on 28/8/76. It was rebuilt and ownership changed to SP Reid of Blenhiem on 10/9/82, then to well-known aircraft builder AD (Jack) Melhopt of Timaru on 15/8/85.

The above photo was taken at Ardmore in 1985. Finally it moved to the North Island, to The Cambridge Flying Machine Co Ltd of Cambridge on 28/4/12, with whom it is still current.

Our second Emeraude was ZK-CBH (c/n AACA/96/1) which was built by Cliff Johnston of Whangarei, and was first registered on 12/12/75. Its first flight was on 16/12/75. It is photod above at the 1976 AACA flyin at Kaikohe on 24/1/76..

It was sold to Cliff Marchant of Wellington on13/12/76. It struck a horse at Terewhiti Station near Wellington on 7/2/77 and ownership changed to DJ Stuart of Lower Hutt on 16/11/78. It was still damaged at this time, but Dave Stewart repaired it and flew in in the blue and white colour scheme..

Finally ownership changed to John Shakes of Carterton on 9/5/83. I understood that he rebuilt the aircraft and repainted it in this striking orange colour scheme, as photo'd at Feilding in 1983. It was withdrawn and cancelled on 9/7/01.

Our third Emeraude was Super Emeraude CP 328 ZK-FMM (c/n AACA/446) which was started by C Campbell of Auckland. However it was completed by John Danaher and the Auckland Aero Club, and was first registered to them on 12/5/86, and ownership the transferred to the Auckland Aero Club on 10/11/87. The above photo was taken at Ardmore early on in its life, in 1986.

The above photo was taken at the 1988 AACA flyin at Dairy Flat, where it can be seen that it has the name The Campbell Emeraude under the cockpit. It was then sold to DB Hill of Ruakaka on20/11/90, then to RR Usher of Auckland on 26/12/98, and then to the FMM Syndicate of Auckland on 1/4/01. It was then sold to Trans Aero Pty Ltd of Christchurch on 28/5/06, and finally to Bruce McDonald of Te Awamutu on 24/4/07.

It is still current with Bruce McDonald and it is photo'd here at the Auckland Chapter SAANZ flyin at kelly Field on 21/4/12. It now has the script CP 328 Super Emeraude under the cockpit. You can see the elliptical wing shape in the sadow of the wing in this photo.

Several other Emeraude's were begun in New Zealand and some had registrations reserved: ZK-DET, ZK-DYE and ZK-SLG. However none were completed and we are unlikely to see any more Emeraudes in New Zealand unless someone imports one.

Above is the Aerospatiale AS 350BA ZK-HIH2 (c/n 1723) from The Alpine Group.

It has been around since being listed to Airwork (NZ) Ltd on 31-05-1993.

Now a couple of Bryan Comerfords imports. Above is Aerospatiale AS 350B Squirrel ZK-HFH4 (c/n 1628). Ex Japan and the USA it became ZK-HFH on 22-07-2010 and switched to Rick Lucas Helicopters on 01-12-2011.

Below is the more recent import AS 359BA ZK-IBQ (c/n 2050) registered to Bryan on 10-01-2012. It is ex Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Seen at Masterton on Tuesday the 19th was the Piper PA-32R-300 Lance ZK-EIB (c/n 32R-7780548) of B V Medical Ltd and Graham Rusbatch of Auckland. It had just arrived up from Christchurch with its next stop being Paraparaumu.
It was imported, assembled and listed to Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Ardmore on 07-11-1977 for Kiwi Packing Ltd from 20-02-1978, then listed briefly with Goldfields Air of Alexandra in late 1981 and early 1982 with some seven more operators before listing with B V Medical on 31-01-2012.Report from Geoff Lloyd.

Friday, 22 February 2013

Grant Newman has been out and about recently, and has sent the following photos from the Flying NZ National Chamionships at Motueka. Grant reports as follows:

The Flying NZ National
Championships are being held at Motueka between the 21st and 24th, which has seen a number of
aircraft from around the country descend on this small but busy aerodrome. The
Motueka Aero Club has kindly opened its gates to allow the public to get closer
to the action and is raising funds for a new hangar. Considerable interest is
being shown by the public looking for something different to do on hot summer
days, with parents parking up next the the airfield with their kids and sitting
and watching the flying.

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Grant Newman has sent in a couple of photos of the Classic Aircraft Nieuport N 11 replica ZK-NII in a new colour scheme, taken at Omaka on 19 February. The new scheme appears to be partly applied in the photos

The colours are those of the Lafayette Escadrille which was an escadrille (a unit featuring more than 10 aircraft) of the French Air Service in WW 1 that was operated mainly by American volunteer pilots, and featured a screaming Indian head.

No doubt the new colour scheme is for "The Americans are Coming" theme of Classic Fighters 2013.

Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Seen at Wanaka yesterday (19-02-2013) was this Cessna A185F ZK-FMA (c/n 18503513) of Southern Alps Air Ltd from Makarora.

It came to NZ as a rebuild project for Aeromotive Overhauls Ltd of Hamilton and was registered to them on 14-10-1985. After lease to Aspiring Air in 1986 - 1987 it went to Southern Alps Air Charter Ltd on 09-02-1987 and to its current listed operator on 15-07-1994.

Sunday, 17 February 2013

When I read Blue Bus's post on The Airdrome Aeroplanes Nieuport 24 replica ZK-MNR at the recent SAANZ Great Plains Flyin at Ashburton, I realised that there was another new Airdrome Aeroplanes replica on the aerodrome.

ZK-FKG (c/n 25022010 - sounds like a date), is Graham Ritchie's new Fokker D VII replica, which has not been posted on this blog previously.